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Old 01-10-2022, 01:27 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by RTrider View Post
I also have a 38Q, but a '14. I find the solar panel helps, but 100 watt unit is not enough with 4 batteries. I am in FL, but I have partial shade when in storage. I have found that turning off the inverter disconnect right behind the solar charge controller reduces the battery drain. I wish I had the connector for additional solar panels like shown in the picture posted by creative parts. It would make adding additional solar very easy.
This is where we really can solve or head off some of our problems if we get down and search out better ways to do things. One is the inverter. Since we are not using the AC power when the RV is stored, it really should be turned off when we don't need it as it is then just a drain on the batteries1

But we often talk about there being parasitic loads that are not cut off when we simply flip the battery cutoff switch. So if the situation really is a problem and once we know about the things not cut off, consider what else might be done.

Most electrical items do have fuses or breakers to cut them off when things go wrong, os if we are not in the RV for something like most of the winter and we have problems, one solution to consider is removing those fuses or flipping the breakers feeding those parasitic drains!

It is considered a safety item by the builders and they are especially worried about lawsuits if somebody walks out the door and the step are not extended,
somebody gets killed by CO2 while sleeping in the RV and such. But that is where I do some thinking about what I am doing with my RV during the winter! Over winter storage, I DO NOT have anybody sleeping in it nor anybody but me using the steps, so turning those safety items off is acceptable to me! When living further North and where battery charging was much more difficult, pulling the fuses to totally kill the drains made more sense.

But we each need to think what it takes to do it best for our situation.
Are you okay if you reduce the battery drain by pulling the fuse on the CO detector?
Are you okay if the proapne detector is not needed when you turn the propane tank valve off at the end of the season?
How about radio presets that tend to drain the start battery? Are they handy enough that you want to keep them or do you wantto pull the fuse onthem, too?
See what I mean? It has to be a personal decison about how you best do the storage!

I think Creative may have the best solution when he uses the RV often enough that storage doesn't count! Just keep driving to keep the thing in good shape!
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Old 01-10-2022, 02:48 PM   #22
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One is the inverter. Since we are not using the AC power when the RV is stored, it really should be turned off when we don't need it as it is then just a drain on the batteries.
Hey Richard on the way Winnebago installs Magnum Inverters there is both OFF via the monitor panel inside the RV that really turns off the inverter functionality entirely (but not the charger if there is shore power) and the Rotary disconnect that physically disconnects the positive cabling to the batteries.

According to Magnum the monitor off button is all you need to turn off and that there is no further draw when off. There are some that feel the need to turn both the inverter and the rotary disconnect off - just to be sure. I only turn off the rotary disconnect off when working on the batteries or the inverter.

The rotary disconnect is fairly hidden away in a basement compartment. I would think it’s mounted in a hard to reach location because there is no expectation for normal everyday use.
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Old 01-10-2022, 03:28 PM   #23
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Hey Richard on the way Winnebago installs Magnum Inverters there is both OFF via the monitor panel inside the RV that really turns off the inverter functionality entirely (but not the charger if there is shore power) and the Rotary disconnect that physically disconnects the positive cabling to the batteries.

According to Magnum the monitor off button is all you need to turn off and that there is no further draw when off. There are some that feel the need to turn both the inverter and the rotary disconnect off - just to be sure. I only turn off the rotary disconnect off when working on the batteries or the inverter.

The rotary disconnect is fairly hidden away in a basement compartment. I would think it’s mounted in a hard to reach location because there is no expectation for normal everyday use.
Sounds like a logical way to go and if they have different switches, they do have that in mind, Good place to check the manual as things vary over time.
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Old 01-11-2022, 08:26 AM   #24
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I am not sure if different years are wired differently, but on my unit turning off the inverter at the control panel OFF switch does not disconnect everything. As soon as the house battery disconnect switch is turned off, a red indicator light is illuminated on my Magnum control panel. That goes off by turning the rotary disconnect to the OFF position. I have also experienced a faster discharge with the rotary disconnect left on. Of course, if the unit is plugged in or generator turned on, no charging or other Magnum functions will occur. (Voice of experience.)
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Old 01-11-2022, 02:24 PM   #25
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I have also experienced a faster discharge with the rotary disconnect left on. Of course, if the unit is plugged in or generator turned on, no charging or other Magnum functions will occur. (Voice of experience.)
When you turn off the inverter at the monitor (Magnum calls it the “remote”) it turns off nothing but the inverter (not the charger or even the remote). So that is normal. When you turn off the house battery disconnect that turns off everything including the Magnum remote. We’ll, it turns off everything but the required safety loads.

Turning off the inverter’s rotary disconnect is not supposed to change anything other than physically disconnect just the inverter - that is already fully “off” - from the batteries. But if you feel it helps there is no harm in doing so.
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